26/05/2005 Canada
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
today jointly launched Our Great Lakes,
a public-friendly, plain-language report
which outlines the major issues concerning
Canadians and Americans about the health
of the Great Lakes.
Our Great Lakes addresses the state of
the Great Lakes, what is being done to restore
and protect them, and how all of us can
reduce our environmental impacts. The report
simplifies key scientific information sources,
principally the 2003 State of the Great
Lakes report from the 2003 State of the
Lakes Ecosystem Conference.
The Great Lakes sustain the lives of 33
million people. Each one of us can play
a part in improving the Great Lakes, both
for our well-being and as an invaluable
legacy for our children, said the Honourable
Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment.
As reflected in the 2005 Budget, we renewed
our commitment to the Great Lakes through
the Great Lakes Action Plan and will provide
a further $40 million over the next five
years. This joint publication highlights
the need for closer and closer co-operation
between Canada and the United States in
environmental matters. Our Great Lakes is
a kind of detailed check-up for the ecosystem.
I invite you to take a look at it.
The report addresses the safety of water
for drinking and recreational activities,
the edibility of fish, the health of fish,
birds and wildlife, and the impact of non-native
species. The report calls the impact from
non-native species the greatest threat to
the Great Lakes in the 21st century. The
report also includes practical advice on
what the public can do to keep the Great
Lakes cleaner and healthier.
